Juuri Sapas is a not quite Michelin starred newbie on the Helsinki scene. Popular and recommended by some of my husband’s gourmand cousins, we were eager to try it. Sapas is like tapas, albeit slightly smaller, small plates of food.

We’re meeting my husband’s cousins whom he hasn’t seen in about 20 years. They’re Helsinki natives and love fine dining and a good drop of wine so we are eager to take advantage of their knowledge of the city. The menu is contemporary Finnish cuisine with a lot of local ingredients and native foods which makes it rather exciting. All 4 mains are savoury and sweet and have meat combined with a fruit in some way. There are some little issues, a couple of people at the table have to ask for new plates as they were given dirty ones, my husband having to ask for a new plate twice.

The Sapas are €3.50 each and we choose the Lingonberry marinated salmon on maltbread, tarragon garlic oil; raspberry marinated arctic char with radish sauce; smoked small perche from Pielinen with egg sauce; crayfish cottage cheese filled cabbage leaves with melted dill butter; fresh sausages a la Juuri with vodka mustard; terrine of reindeer liver with jelly made of berries; smoked lamb with gooseberry jam.

Array of 3 breads

Carrot butter

We’re given a large basket of 3 different breads with a carrot butter. The carrot butter is interesting, distinctly carroty in taste but with the creaminess of butter.

Lingonberry marinated salmon on maltbread, tarragon garlic oil €3.50

The salmon is gorgeous, lightly sweetened with the lingonberries and perched on top of the maltbread which soaks up the tarragon and garlic oil nicely. It’s much better than regular marinated salmon.

Raspberry marinated arctic char with radish sauce €3.50

The slender slice of arctic char resembles salmon in texture but is a whitefish. I’m not usually a fan of radishes but the sauce is creamy enough but still retains the radish flavour.

Smoked small perche from Pielinen with egg sauce €3.50

The small smoked fish are intensely flavoured whilst the egg sauce is an interesting accompaniment. The fish aren’t too dry and the sauce is delicious.

Crayfish cottage cheese filled cabbage leaves with melted dill butter €3.50

The stuffed cabbage leaves resembles a small spring roll but the taste is distinctly different. The sauce is gloriously delicious, with a honeyed tone to it. It’s one of my favourite dishes as well as my husband’s although anything with crayfish is a winner with me.

Fresh sausages a la Juuri with vodka mustard €3.50

The tiny sausages aren’t particularly distintive and the mustard isn’t particularly vodka-ey. It’s a bit of a disappointment given there are so many other delicious dishes.

Terrine of reindeer liver with jelly made of berries €3.50

The pate like reindeer liver terrine is delicious and unusual. Distinctly different from other liver terrines or pates it is enhanced by the berry jelly. If only we had some little toast points to eat it with.

Smoked lamb with gooseberry jam €3.50

The smoked lamb is very smokey in aroma and I’m not sure about the gooseberry jam with it. Although the lamb is delicious when I dip it in the other sauces.

Grilled salsify with rosehip jam €3.50

Pike quenelle in wild herb bouillion €3.50

Beetroot and nut stew with small mushrooms €3.50

Eggcheese spiced with oregano baked on top of straws €3.50

Willowherb asparagus €3.50

Roasted swede with cauliflower puree €3.50

Mains menu

The mains we choose are the Wild Boar Ribs with apple butter and vegetables cooked in beef stock, Organic Lamb Tenderloin with dark orange bolete sauce and fried organic barley porridge and Artic Char (a fish native to Finland) braised in whitecurrant wine, jeruselum artichoke puree, beetroot sauce and parsnip chips.

Wild Boar Ribs with apple butter and vegetables cooked in beef stock €22.50

My Wild boar ribs with apple puree, dutch carrots and other vegetables are absolutely divine, sticky sweet and soft they completely conquer regular pork ribs or any other ribs I’ve had. I almost sob that I know that I can’t get them in Australia and I begrudgingly give some to my sister and husband, knowing that they will love them too.

Organic Lamb Tenderloin with dark orange bolete sauce and fried organic barley porridge €25.50

The Lamb is soft and tenderly pink inside and the accompaniment of fried porridge is delicious. It’s similar to fried polenta but softer and stickier. Like Chinese radish cake or something similar in texture although not in taste. The dark orange bolete sauce is a midly sweet accompanying sauce.

Artic Char braised in whitecurrant wine, jeruselum artichoke puree, beetroot sauce and parsnip chips €22.50

The fantastic looking Arctic Char with a streak of fuchsia beetroot puree as mentioned before tastes like salmon whilst being a whitefish.The artichoke puree and beetroot sauce not only providing visual contrast to the fish but also flavour that never overpowers the fish.

Fried perch fillets with Finnish original onion and tomato salad, rhubarb sauce and new potatoes €22.50

Dessert menu

Chocolate cake de capo with seabuckthorne mousse €7

Although we are full we can’t pass up on the desserts-there’s one that has caught my eye-the chocolate cake de capo with seabuckthorn mousse. My husband’s cousins tell us the seabuckthorne is actually used in a medicinal sense-whenever someone is feeling ill or coming down with something, they take some seabuckthorne juice. So not only is it tasty but good for you. The chocolate cake resembles a brownie and the mousse a sweet slightly tangy tamarillo mousse. It’s finished with a streak of thick butterscotch sauce.

Selection of Finnish cheeses and crowberry jelly €7.50

My sister orders the cheese plate and when it arrives, with 4 small cubes of cheese with crowberry jelly €7.50. I don’t have the heart to ask her to share any of her tiny 4 cubes with me and she reports back that 1 was “ok” but the rest were unmemorable. She actually wanted to spit out one of the hard cheeses. Not to mention the tiny portions. The crowberry jelly is more like a syrup than a jelly and honeyed in taste although the consistency doesn’t lend itself to all of the cheeses.

Seasonal sorbet Rhubarb €5

We sample some of the Rhubarb sorbet, intriguingly it’s a forest green shade. it tastes like a fruit and vegetable juice, almost like parsley or another herb has been added to the rhubarb.

Rosehip and white chocolate ice cream with marinated strawberries €7

Later, we head off to Mecca bar, an ultra chic and a bit posey bar populated by Helsinki’s beautiful people. We’re persuaded to try the Sweet Salty licorice drink. It’s a glisteningly black tar shot glass and even the smell at a short distance is heady with aniseed. I take a sip, after all I’m not a big licorice fan and indeed it is just like the salty sweet licorice lollies. My husband adores this and wants to buy a bottle.

We leave whilst the night is still young, after all in the Midnnight Sun season, night never falls.

Juuri Sapas

Korkeavuorenkatu 27
00130 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 635732
www.juuri.fi
Reservation: ravintola@juuri.fi
Seats: 34+6
Open: Mon-Fri 11–24, Sat 12–24, Sun 14–20

Having the pleasure of seeing Mr Ramsay cook doesn’t always come cheap. I was lucky enough to get some Front row centre tickets as I made sure I was online the second they went on sale but looking at ebay just a couple of weeks before the show, I saw that a pair of tickets had sold for $350 (plus the book but lets face it, they weren’t after the book). So I hung onto my precious tickets and guarded them with my life. It’s a good year for me, I’ve already met my favourite female cook Nigella and now I am meeting my favourite male chef.

Crowd waiting for Gordon to arrive for his 1.30pm book signing

We met friend Gina, Teena and Philippe at noon and slowly made our way around the show. The crowds were thick and in a lot of cases unmoving. Gina vowed to visit next year on a Friday such were the crowds around some stands.

The line is large for Gordon and everyone is excited. They’ve expanded the size of the theatre due to demand for Gordon’s shows (they put up the price of the second wave of tickets to cover the cost of expanding the theatre).

We have brilliant seats, front row centre left, right in front of him cooking. There’s a bit of a warm up and prize giveaway prior to Gordon entering with his right hand man from Claridges Mark Sargeant whom I remember seeing on the F Word. There is a lot of clapping signalling that the crowd is restless and doesn’t want to hear any of the preamble, they just want Gordon. And after several “Here comes Goooordon Ramsay!!”, the man finally appears. He looks exactly like he does on the show and women everywhere swoon.

Two fans run onto the stage holding Gordon masks

It’s like a culinary version of Beatlemania with two girls running up to the stage with Gordon masks on sticks and declaring him their idol and asking for hugs. Several girls stop him during the show when he walks into the audience area and demand hugs to which he happily obliges.

Another fan wanting a hug

Gordon on stage is exactly what he is like on tv, except with a little less swearing and if you watch Hell’s Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares, a lot less anger. He does manage to insult (in his charmingly blunt way) a slew of celebrities: Dannii Minogue for being plastic and melting in front of the oven and for having body parts less than 6 months old, Lisa Wilkinson (host of the Today show) whom he says has a penis, Anthony Worrall Thompson for winning the ugliest chef award 35 years running, Jamie Oliver for being a “fat tongued fat git” who makes fattening food and Matt Moran for having a poor turnout to the show (”They moved the curtain 4 rows from the front so Matt thought that it was full of people”) and of course the Diners Club sponsor when he whipped out his Black American Express card.

“Is this the size of your bush?”

He even makes fun of the audience and recalls falling in love with a French woman when he lived in France and asks if there are any French women in the audience. There is only one and he picks up a bunch of herbs and asks her “Is this the size of your bush?” to which she declares that hers is actually bigger.

Matt Moran with the fire extinguisher pounces on an unsuspecting Gordon and Mark

During the show Matt Moran bursts on stage with a fire extinguisher with sprays both Gordon and Mark, probably as revenge for his earlier comment.

Gordon’s little exchange with me

“I feel bad now”

I even had an exchange with Gordon himself while he was on stage. He pretended that he’d left copies of his cookbook under our seats but hadn’t so everyone got excited for a second then realised he was taking the piss. My friend was quite vocal in her “Awwww no!!” so he said to her “Did you think I’d put 2000 copies under everyone’s seat?” and she shrugged so I yelled out “Oprah would have!” and he laughed and touched his heart and says “Oh shit, really yeah I feel bad now”. Then he said “Where’s your husband?” and I pointed at my husband sitting next to me behind the camera and he said “Well he’s a lucky man”. Aww I feel touched by god!

Hand on his heart feeling bad that he hasn’t given us the books, Oprah style

While he is cooking, he gets a little more serious and explains tricks and rules to perfecting the dishes. He makes three dishes, a chorizo and bean soup, a lamb dish with a balsamic sauce which looks delectably luscious and a Pain Perdu (french toast) all intended to be dishes that you could make everyday from leftover ingredients.

Entree: Chorizo and bean soup

Main-Lamb

Dessert-Pain Perdu

After all of the cooking is done, he gives away items from the set to lucky audience members.

After this, he is off to his last book signing of the day where I tried to get my DVDs signed but they had cut the line off after a certain amount of people. As Gordon took time to chat and shake the hand or kiss and take a photo with every person in the line, the amount of people was relatively short but well rewarded. Whilst I would’ve loved a kiss and my DVDs signed I was happy with my small brush with Gordon!

Gordon signing one of many autographs

The crowd taking pictures of Gordon signing

And of the stands on offer, there were plenty of delicious morsels to be had, loads of samples and lots of great bargains.

Organic Times chocolates

One of my favourite stands, and the site of a big purchase was the Organic Times Chocolate stand where they were extremely generous with samples. We tried at least 8 of their varieties (and we could have tried more) before settling on dark chocolate coated licorice (mild), chocolate coated ginger (gorgeous large chunks of candied stem ginger enrobed in dark chocolate), dark chocolate coated macadamias and dark chocolate coated coffee beans. 3 boxes were $20 or 4 for $25.

Yumi’s dips

Another favourite stand of mine every year is Yumi’s dips which I adore. I especially like their olive dip, tuna mousse, smoked trout mousse, egg salad, pumpkin and Mediterranean eggplant dip and we buy up big here. As it is the last day, they offer us 7 dips for $12 which is a huge saving. I would have bought more except I know that I will be away for a month so I won’t be able to eat the fish dips.

Hillier’s chocolates offering is a huge bowl of wrapped chocolates. Despite his sad expression, the caramel ones were especially good

Pama Liquors

Pomegranate seemed to be the juice flavour of this year’s show with a couple of Pomegranate juice manufacturers as well as this Pomegranate liquor. I didn’t have time to try but I did love the bottles!

There were also whole hibiscus flowers soaked in Vodka. They had an interesting texture, much like beetroot with a sweetness from the flower itself and kick from the Vodka.

For those interested in eating lunch in a non bite sized sample portion, there were celebrity chef eateries churning out dishes.

I would probably have this expression if I had to wear the hat. Perhaps my husband was mocking him when he took the picture, hence the rather fierce expression.

We got to the Lindt stand a bit too late and missed out on the Lindor ball bags. Ah well, we still had lots of Organic chocolate.

All in all, it was another great show this year, made 100000% times better by the presence of Mr Ramsay. I don’t know how they will top that next year. After all, there is just one Mr Gordon Ramsay.

And Dear Reader, whilst you are reading this, I will probably be on a plane on my way to Tokyo, probably eating a dodgy airline meal (and of course photographing it). I shall have limited access to the internet for the first 10 days that I am away but will post stories every day so please feel free to make comments, I’ll approve and reply to them when I get more internet access, probably somewhere in Finland, our second destination. After Finland we will go to London to stay with my sister (where I will have unlimited internet access) and then a few days in Paris. Rest assured this will be an eating tour of these wonderful cities so once I am back in London, the tales of the bizarre, kitsch and delicious will flow.

Love Infrequent Flyer,

NQN
xxx

Deusexmachina is a motorcycle shop that we’ve driven past many a time which peaked our interest due to the clever name and eyecatching windows. Deus Ex Machina means literally in Latin “God out of a machine” which is a rather clever name for a motorcycle shop, cum cafe, cum gallery. The way it reads on the outside almost looks like “De Sex Machine” which really catches the eye. And for those who can’t quite recall what Deus Ex Machina means, it’s a plot device used in books, movies or television that allows for the improbable but neat solution to resolve a situation or plot. Think Dallas and the question “Who Shot J.R.?” being resolved with “It was all a dream”. I couldn’t have ever imagined stopping there to have a look as I don’t have any interest in Motorcycles until I read that they actually had a cafe attached to it, called naturally, Deus cafe.

One lazy Sunday afternoon we decided to have lunch there (ok it was brunch but at lunch time). As they close at 3pm we had to get our butts into gear, across the bridge and down the peculiarly numbered Parramatta Road earlier than we would normally leave the house on a cold Sunday.

Entering the huge space of the cafe you’re immediately struck by the low lighting, large communal tables and the fact that it is jam packed for an area that doesn’t have that much nearby. The mark of Dare Jennings, the Mambo founder is stamped across everything. It’s that rustic, laidback, boy friendly but not girl unfriendly look where objects look like a collection of cool vintage and new.

We share some surprisingly soft and comfortable wicker couches with others and I go to order. I take a good 5 minutes standing (probably open mouthed) trying to decide that to order. There are specials that finish at noon, cakes, rolls, salads, breakfast eggs in all sorts of variations as well as more substantial lunch food like lamb shanks. I wanted to order the Bircher muesli with fresh stewed fruit but they’ve sold out, as they have with the granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I settle on the fruit toast ($4) as I’m told it’s made on the premises, a New England Clam Chowder with Deus roll ($10) and a Lamb sausage with tzatziki, tomato confit on Deus bread with chips ($12). It’s order and pay at the counter and they provide complimentary help yourself filtered water. There is a huge tables of magazines from the New Yorker to the Sunday life and newspapers so I grab some and get reading.

Fruit toast $4

Our fruit toast arrives first, two thick wedges of lightly toasted raisin bread with 2 squares of butter at the perfect temperature so that it spreads easily. I am glad to see that it is packed with lots of raisins and even though my husband isn’t a big toast eater, whereas I am, he enjoys this as much as I do.

New England Clam Chowder $10

The New England Clam Chowder and the Lamb sausages arrive together about 10 minutes later. The clam chowder is full of lots of bacon, celery, potato and some very tiny sliced up clams. Although it’s not particularly clam-my or briney, it’s creamy and comforting and lovely with the freshly baked roll, which is like across between a panini and a turkish roll. I’m hoping my husband won’t like it but of course he does.

Lamb sausages with tzatziki, tomato confit and chips $12

The Lamb sausages sit within a split lightly toasted Deus roll with two confit of tomatoes and a generous serve of tzatziki. The sausages are strong in fennel seed and whilst it’s nice, there is a little something lacking in the sandwich. I find myself adding salt which improves it slightly but not enough for me to want to eat more. My husband finds that there is too much roll for the filling and I have to agree. The french fries are actually stone cold which is a disappointment but we can’t be bothered waiting to wait for a fresh serve.

We’re full so we walk into the shop adjacent to the cafe where there is the distinct smell of grease and oil. Lots of motorcycles, books and interesting displays adorn the shop and for a motorcycle enthusiast, it’s probably their idea of nirvana.

Deus Cafe, part of Deus Ex Machina

98-104 Parramatta Road Camperdown
Tel: +61 (02) 9557 6866
Parking to the right via Barr Street
Open 7 days:
Mon-Sat: 8:00-3:00pm
Sunday: 9:00-3:00pm

http://www.deus.com.au/

Opposite the Manly Ferry wharves is a restaurant that we’ve passed many times but never noticed. It’s only when A books a table here for her birthday that we discover this restaurant, a Spanish Moorish restaurant and tapas bar.

The staff are patient, and for us they need to be as half of the party is more than half an hour late, some 45 minutes late which can send a restaurateur round the bend with precious table space being wasted. When three quarters of the people arrive at the table, the owner recommends that we order some tapas to start and then our mains before the rest of the table arrive as the wait for our mains might be long as we’ve hit the 8-8.30pm crowd. We’re rushed into choosing a little but we assume it’s all in the name of making sure that our orders are served in a timely manner. Vegetarian dishes are plentiful and clearly marked which makes ordering easier.

Bissara broadbean dip $13

We order a mix of tapas which comes out within 5-10 minutes. The first to arrive is the Bissara Dip $13.00 described as “A rich puree of baby broad beans cooked gently in olive oil, garlic and cumin served with flat bread”. I scoop some up on the bread and it’s not particularly flavoursome and appears very watery if anything. Not a promising start I must admit.

Potato Aioli $9

The second tapas dish to arrive is the Potato Alioli $9.00, described as “Crispy fried potatoes with homemade garlic and parsley mayonnaise”. The small potato chunks look delectable and holding back on eating them while taking photos is an exercise in patience. We are rewarded with crispy, delicious potato chunks with an aromatic garlic aioli which makes us for the Bissara Dip nicely. This gets much contented murmuring from the table. In the middle of eating these, curiously my main arrives. The owner apologises for this and removes it and tells me that it is for the wrong table and that a fresh one will be made for me once I finish my entree.

Moorish Meat Balls $11.00

Our third tapas dish is the Moorish Meat Balls $11.00, “Minced beef balls simmered in a spicy tomato, red wine and coriander sauce”. There are 4 1/2 small sizzling balls to this plate and they are made of very finely ground beef, if anything the texture is much like that of a felafel without being bright green. They’re something that I wanted to try as I haven’t experienced Moorish cuisine before but I don’t think I’d order these again. My husband comments that the four-and-a-bit small balls hardly represent good value. It seems the only thing I can recall about the Moors is of course a Seinfeld reference of the Bubble Boy episode where George calls them “The Moops”. See, Seinfeld is really relevant to everything.

Cheese & Spinach Balls $13.00

We next try the Cheese & Spinach Balls $13.00, described as “Homemade deep fried, crispy cheese and spinach balls with a spicy dressing”. These are very green and spinachey inside with just enough cheese to bind and give it taste. They’re much more preferable to the Moorish meatballs and I find myself really enjoying the crispy outside and spinach and cheese inner.

Couscous $6

We’re expecting to wait a while as the owner had warned us that the kitchen would need time to prepare our 8 mains but it scarcely 15 minutes later before our mains arrive. I had visions of being in a “The Chopping Block” or “Kitchen Nightmares” episode, you know where the food critic/customer waits for an hour for their main. Thankfully not tonight.

The first B’stilla served $28

My B’Stilla $28.00 gets the most attention. Indeed with the sprinkling of cinnamon and powdered sugar and strawberry on top it looks like a dessert. Everyone wonders if I’ve accidentally ordered myself a dessert and for a second I do too. It is described on the menu as “One of the truly great medieval dishes of the Moors, it is richly spiced, highly flavoured mixture of chicken, almonds and orange blossom water, sparked with cinnamon and saffron, sweetened with pounded sugar and encased in layers of thin crispy warka pastry”.

The second B’stilla served $28

Thankfully I can tell that it is a different one from the one that landed on the table before (phew) and it certainly resembles a strudel pastry with an orange syrup and flaked almonds surrounding it. Cutting into the pie and tasting it is an almost surreal experience. My taste buds and brain fights with itself, one saying “Yes!” and the other saying “No!”. One part of me thinks that I am having a sweet cinnamon strudel and then I am delivered a taste of savoury curry spiced chicken and almonds. Everyone else that tries it likes it but I have to admit, it confused my tastebuds a little too much.

Zarzuila Marinara (serves 2 $50.00)

I try Snugglepot & Cuddlepie’s Zarzuila Marinara (serves 2 $50.00) served in a paella pan. Described as “Mussels, crabs, prawns, ling, baby clams and calamari in a white wine, tomato, garlic and herb sauce” it resembles paella without the rice. It’s filled with crab, fish, mussels and prawns and the seafood is juicy, fresh and tender whilst the sauce is richly flavoured and glistening. Perfect to have with the saffron rice. They’ve ordered couscous to go with it which is nice but the saffron rice gives the bountiful seafood catch a more paella like feel to it.

Saffron rice $5

Vegetarian Couscous $24.00

Sisko and Tuulikki both have the Vegetarian Couscous $24.00 which are beautifully presented on gorgeous Moroccan themed plates which I am coveting for my kitchen. It’s described as “A mound of fluffy moist couscous topped with chickpeas, sliced eggplant, caramelised onion and sultanas. Rounded with chunks of four different vegetables” and it is indeed tasty with the eggplant, caramelised onion and sultanas sitting atop the mound of couscous flanked by the simmered chunks of potato, pumpkin, carrot and zucchini. The eggplant, caramelised onion and sultanas are the most flavoursome part of the dish whilst the thick chunks of vegetables are tender and lightly flavoured.

Vegetarian Tajine $23.00

I try A’s Vegetarian Tajine $23.00 after they lift off the Tagine lid to reveal an assortment of vegetables. It is described as “A casserole of zucchini, carrots, sweet peas, and artichokes in a fresh herb and tomato concasse”. Whilst a vegetarian would probably think this is wonderful, it’s just not as flavoursome as the B’Stilla or Zarzuila Marinara and I have meat dishes to attend to so I try a bit and move on.

Lamb M’choui $28.00

I then try Figaro’s Lamb M’choui $28.00. Described as “Flame grilled marinated lamb fillets over moist fluffy couscous tossed with fresh herbs, almonds and raisins topped with a dollop of minted yoghurt”,the lamb is delicious and perfectly cooked. Slightly crispy on the outside and lovely and tender inside and great alongside the couscous which is doused in a tomato concasse and minted yogurt.

Chicken and Preserved Lemon Tajine $27.00

Lastly I try my husband’s Chicken and Preserved Lemon Tajine $27.00, “Marinated chicken pieces smothered with confits of preserved lemon, tomato, saffron, and onions. Garnished with potatoes and olives”. I have this with the saffron rice ($5 extra) and it’s very good, the chicken on the bone falls away easily and the salty preserved lemons lend an extra element to the dish. I do a lemon pucker face when I do eat some of the preserved lemon as I find it too salty.

After dinner the music starts and a trio of Flamenco dancers start dancing. It’s a great show full of skirt swirling and foot stamping and Snugglepot being a huge fan of dance is urged to dance onstage by one of the dancers.

Alhambra Tapas bar & Moorish Cuisine

1/54 West Esplanade Manly
Tel: (02) 9976 2975
Website

Winter hours
Lunch
Wed-Sun: 12.00pm - 3.00pm
Dinner
Tue-Sun: 6.00pm - 10.30pm
Cash, Bankcard, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Diners Club
BYO (bottled wine only) $3.00 per person 10% surcharge on public holidays

To say that for me, this Iron Chef dinner is my Olympics, is not understatement. I’ve trained for it, prepared for it and dreamt about it. I’ve made sure that I’ve taken plenty of vitamins to ensure that I don’t get an unexpected cold, carefully chosen my outfit and counted down the days, hours and minutes until this amazing event.

Diners await the Iron Chef experience

Arriving at 6pm we come across our fellow diners, all 120 of them. Its a large crowd and apparently double the size of last years. For them to host a total of 360 diners over the 3 nights must show that despite how long ago production ceased, the Iron Chefs still have a strong allure. People are mostly dressed up (although there I see a diner in t shirt and jeans) and range from wealthy looking older couples, corporate looking thirtysomethings to the book wielding fans, some who have traveled quite a distance and at considerable expense to be there but who confess that their income doesn’t usually stretch to the heights of $500 a plate. There’s a little competition between these book clutching Iron Chef fans with guarded questions like “So how many times have you seen them cook? Me I’ve seen them three times”. There’s also a real excitement in the air, the staff are buzzing around excitedly and ensure that people are greeted and taken care of and diners know that they’re in for a special event. Iron Chef Chen walks through the lobby and several people stop him and ask for a picture. He gladly obliges and is friendly and approachable.

Menu Page 1

Menu Page 2 (entrees)

Menu Page 3 (mains and dessert)

When the grandfather clock strikes 6.30pm we are ushered into the Globe Bar. They’ve set up tables in both the Globe Bar and the Galileo restaurant to accommodate everyone. We are sitting with the other winner of the Australian Macadamias competition and her partner. Perusing the menu it comprises of a welcome cocktail, a six piece entree plate with 2 dishes from each Iron Chef and 2 dishes from the Observatory’s Chef Haru, 5 mains and 1 dessert, all with matching wines. Ingredients such as lobster, foie gras, zucchini flower, sea urchin and the famed Kinugasa mushroom feature and the excitement level goes up a notch at seeing the mouthwatering sounding dishes. There’s a flurry of chef’s whites and suddenly Chen is jovially wandering around the room welcoming everyone to the evening and he stops and takes photos with us. We touched an Iron Chef we whisper!!

Welcome Champagne Cocktail

Soon after we are enjoying the welcome cocktail: Champagne Chambord made with NV Pol Roger “white Foil’”, Epernay, Champagne. It deliciously sweet featuring a toothpick of firm, sweet lush blueberries and raspberries.

Entree variation (two items from each chef)

Our entree plate arrives minutes later, as we’re one of the first tables, we get served first and we are delighted at that. French Iron Chef Sakai’s contribution are Mousse de Saumon and Soupe a l’Ail avec Gelee de Gazpacho. Chinese Iron Chef Chen’s dishes are Sesame Infused Cold Steamed Chicken and Braised Carp with Chilli sauce and Observatory Chef Haru’s dishes are Zucchini Flower with Calamari and Quail Confit. The matching wine is NV Larmandier-Bernier Blanc de Blancs Brut, 1er Cru, Vertus, Champagne.

I try them in order of cuisine: Sakai’s Gazpacho soup scarlet top layer is sweet and tangy, redolent of capsicum and tomato, under this is a thin layer of very thinly sliced capsicum and then a creamy layer. His Salmon Mousse is stunningly rich and creamy and wonderful against the crispy buttery toast. Crispy and creamy are two of my favourite textures together and this is perfectly done.

Chen’s Braised Carp is served in an adorable pastry spoon, its rich, very complex and very, very moreish, I try and take tiny bites of this small flavour packed spoon so as to prolong the eating experience. There’s some shimmery gold leaf on top and each bite is finished off with a delightful kick of chili which is not too hot but lets you know that its there. Cold sesame chicken is a favourite dish of mine and his is rich in chinese sesame sauce, a definite cut above others that I’ve had. There’s a layer of the thinnest sliced cucumber and a small amount of the unmistakably textured jellyfish at the bottom. Its a taste that has you wanting more.

Haru’s Deep fried Zucchini flower with Calamari is lightly battered and tastes wonderful, the calamari pieces a lovely contrast to the soft zucchini flower. His Quail confit is served with a tiny bone sticking skyward which we at first think is a skewer. The tiny morsel is much appreciated by the whole table, its softness and flavour slightly different from chicken, like the dark meat but a touch gamier.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: taking photos of themselves

While we’re eating we stop as the numerous plasma screens around the rooms flash and we see footage in the kitchen where the three chefs and the host Tomo are taking pictures of themselves on the screen. They’re having a great time back there and take several photos together. We’re excited because they’re clearly delighting at being there and the whole experience.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Introductions

Suddenly the Iron Chef theme music fills the room. John Mangos is welcoming everyone to this special night but he’s having a lot of trouble with his microphone. We cross to the Kitchen where the three chefs and Tomo are greeting everyone. She introduces Iron Chef Chen and he’s the most gregarious of the lot, saying “G’day Mate!!” over and over and mugging for the camera and generally playing up like a naughty schooboy. Iron Chef Sakai is friendly and happy and greets everyone in Japanese and Observatory Chef Haru is a shy, giggler who seems a little overwhelmed at the attention at times. Chefs Chen and Sakai are clearly great friends and they talk about their friendship forged over 15 years on the show, arms across shoulder best buddy style.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Sakai showing his smoked tuna dish

They explain that each chef is going to introduce and demonstrate preparing their dishes before we taste them. Sakai shows us a large tray filled with the smoked tuna from his first dish: Crepe D’Oursin et Fume de Thon, Sabayon au Curry. The matching wine is a 2005 Robert Weil Riseling Kabinett “Trocken” Rheingau Germany.

Sea Urchin and mushroom crepe, asparagus with curry sabayon and smoked tuna

It arrives from the kitchen minutes later and is a delicious sight to behold. A large fat spear of asparagus sits diagonally across the plate next to a paintbrush stripe of curry sabayon which beckons us to dip it. The mild curry sabayon is lovely with the asparagus, taking away some of its sharp flavour and rounding it off resolutely. A petite rectangle of smoked tuna rests on a green sauce and this is refreshing and deliciously good, the firm tuna texture and the finely sliced cucumber on top a lovely textural balance. The sea urchin crepe is a small parcel of buttery, eggy crepe filled with creamy mushrooms and sea urchin. Its my favourite of the plate with its creamy, eggy flavour and whilst the sea urchin flavour is subtle against the mushroom flavour, its soft, voluptuous texture is most definitely present. I find myself wishing that I would be presented with a never-ending one of these. Well a girl can dream can’t she and on an enchanted night like tonight, you think it could possibly come true.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: The foie gras flan in the crab soup

We next find ourselves facing a very genki Iron Chef Chen who clearly loves the camera. He’s repeating “G’day Mate” again and pulling funny faces and winning over the diners most certainly with his charm and personality. His dish is the Foie Gras Flan (custard not pastry flan), Mud crab soup (although it says king crab on the menu) and Kinugasa mushrooms. The matching wine is 2004 Vinoptima Gewertztraminer, Gisborne, New Zealand. He shows us the Kinugasa mushrooms which he jokingly says that he smuggled through in his golf bag and explains that while foie gras isn’t a usual ingredient in Chinese cuisine, his friend Sakai suggested that he use it and that we should enjoy it separately before mixing it together. Its a marriage of Chen and Sakai he says proudly.

Crab soup with foie gras flan and Kunigasa mushrooms

It arrives in a fine bone china coffee cup along with Chef Chen who delivers this to a few tables of diners and the aroma is divine. With the teaspoon given we dig in and there’s a marked silence while each of us fully enjoys the flavour sensation. I feel myself babbling nonsensical phrases much like the Iron Chef judges like “The flavour is so complexly pleasing to my palate, I feel like I have enjoyed a profound moment”. I have a good nose and for the life of me, I cannot tell what is in it, all my tastebuds are telling me that you are indeed eating something straight from heaven that is unlike anything you’ve eaten before and you’d better find out where you can get some before before you have taste bud revolt on your tongue. All I can tell you is that the soup was complex with flavours and very rich in mud crab roe flavoured stock. Slivers of the foie gras flan sit at the bottom and its a similar texture to the Japanese savoury custard dish chawanmushi with a lovely mild foie gras flavour. The famed and expensive Kinugasa mushrooms are an unusual texture, unlike any mushroom I’ve tried before. Its puffy and textured all over with small holes but translucent and almost jellyfish like in texture but much, much softer. My husband sadly doesn’t get any in his cup, I get two pieces and others get one so maybe I got “his” piece (sorry honey!). We are so eager to extend every morsel we dip the bread into our cups. The NZ wine is the firm favourite of the night, smooth, clean and crisp.

John Mangos calls our attention and he’s giving away a dinner for two at the Observatory and asks “Is anyone here having a birthday, anniversary or special occassion?” My Id is fighting with my Superego and I desperately want to make up something but I don’t and of course another more deserving diner gets the prize.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Haru’s pasta cutter

We flick to the screen with Tomo is standing with Chef Haru who is proudly holding a metal instrument that looks like a torture device for cooks that have been bad. Its accordion like and looks as if it has pizza cutters at the end. He explains that its to cut the fresh saffron pasta sheets into ribbons. His dish is Papillote of Lobster with Saffron pasta and the matching wine is 2005 Tyrells ‘Vat 47′ Chardonnay, Hunter Valley NSW.

Lobster with saffron pasta

It arrives in a square foil pouch which is hot to the touch. Slicing it open with knife and fork reveals a portion of lobster tail sitting atop wide ribbons of saffron pasta in a lobster saffron broth and some red capsicum slivers. The lobster tail is firm, if I can say a little too firm for the pasta noodles which are soft, silky and slippery. They’re similar in texture to the yellow won ton egg wrappers, comforting and soothing to the tongue. The matching wine we’re warned has a strong acid aftertaste and they’re not wrong. After a sip, it remains untouched by all.

Mystery Wine

The waiter delivers us a glass of the first and only red wine of the night and asks us not to taste it yet as its a “Mystery wine” and part of a competition to see which diner gets to be an Iron Chef Apprentice. They call our attention and ask us to sip it. Now I’m not a fan of red wine at all but this seems a particularly bad one, its watery and weak but very strong with tannins. He asks us “If you think its an Old world wine please put your hand up, if you think its a modern wine please leave your hands down”. In my flawed logic I think “No-one in the modern world could possibly want to make this rubbish with the technology and knowledge available” so I vote Old World and am counted out instantly as its modern. He whittles down the crowd through various questions about the wine until there are 4 still standing. He asks them which area of 4 in Victoria they think it has come from and each diner takes an area. The winner is chosen and she gets to cook with Sakai.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Rolling lamb around foie gras, chicken and mushroom sausage

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Omentum

His next dish is the Noisettes D’Agneau an Croute Maria Callas, reportedly one of Maria Callas’s favourite dishes. Sakai shows the lamb fillet being butterflied and pounded thinly, then filled with a foie gras, chicken and mushroom sausage and then wrapped in omentum (like tripe but thinner and lacier) rolled up in string to firm up. This is then wrapped in puff pastry, cooked to a buttery perfection and then sliced into rounds.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Sakai’s personalised knife

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: The knife cover with his signature design

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Apple peeling competition, Sakai has the green apple, Haru the red

Sakai takes the opportunity to show off his own personal knife which he had custom made for his hands at a cost of $2,000. It even has his signature on the sheath and his name on the knife handle. He challenges Chef Haru to an apple peeling competition which Haru at first declines but reluctantly accepts and after a little knife sharpening action, as expected Sakai’s custom bladed knife wins.

Noissette of Lamb Maria Callas

Our Noissette of Lamb arrives and as all Sakai’s dishes, it looks picture perfect. The noisette sits on a bed of savoy cabbage and mushrooms with 3 thin potato french fries arranged around it. The sauce is rich and delectable and the lamb is tender and a nice contrast to the foie gras rich sausage it surrounds. The whole dish is an exercise is richness with the three strong flavours. We see that we’re not the only ones not particularly taken with the wine. It remains mostly untouched by our surrounding diners.

Iron Chef Kitchen Cam: Cooking Mabou tofu

There’s another bid for an Iron Chef Apprentice and this time John Mangos asks if there’s anyone born in Hong Kong. Two people put their hands up, an man who moved here 50 years ago and a woman who moved here 20 years ago. John gives the woman a dining certificate and the man is chosen as Iron Chef Chen’s apprentice. He chats in chinese to Chen and they are enjoying a quick natter before they are interrupted so that Chen can create his very famous signature fish “Mabou Tofu a la Chen”. I adore this dish, its fiery and rich with silky soft tofu and since Chen is known for this recipe, passed on from his famous Szechuan chef father, we know that its going to be good. The matching wine is 2005 Cascabel “Tipico” Grenache/Monastrell/Shiraz from McLaren Vale South Australia. Its not bad but I’m still nursing the NZ white which is my clear favourite.

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